Navigating Uncertainty: MFT Models as Anchors with Difficult Clients

Jessica Popham; Eric Baer; Sonia Burgos

Navigating Uncertainty: MFT Models as Anchors with Difficult Clients

Jessica Popham
, Eric Baer
, Sonia Burgos

Research output: Contribution to conference › Presentation › peer-review

Abstract

This presentation explores how five family therapy models – Solution Focused, Narrative, Symbolic-Experiential, Cognitive Behavioral, and Bowen – conceptualize and approach “difficult” clients. While the term “difficult” can be subjective across models and clinicians, understanding how to navigate therapy when clients feel challenging is important. Each model is reviewed with practical examples illustrating how they can be applied to a case study and serve as anchors for navigating uncertainty in the therapeutic process.

Original language	English
State	Published - Feb 1 2026
Event	International Association for Marriage and Family Counselors - Davie, FL Duration: Feb 1 2026 → …

Conference

Conference	International Association for Marriage and Family Counselors
Period	2/1/26 → …

Cite this

@conference{073759bb125742b4bc6f106e3d7fbb39,

title = "Navigating Uncertainty: MFT Models as Anchors with Difficult Clients",

abstract = "This presentation explores how five family therapy models {\textendash} Solution Focused, Narrative, Symbolic-Experiential, Cognitive Behavioral, and Bowen {\textendash} conceptualize and approach {\textquotedblleft}difficult{\textquotedblright} clients. While the term {\textquotedblleft}difficult{\textquotedblright} can be subjective across models and clinicians, understanding how to navigate therapy when clients feel challenging is important. Each model is reviewed with practical examples illustrating how they can be applied to a case study and serve as anchors for navigating uncertainty in the therapeutic process.",

author = "Jessica Popham and Eric Baer and Sonia Burgos",

year = "2026",

month = feb,

day = "1",

language = "English",

note = "International Association for Marriage and Family Counselors ; Conference date: 01-02-2026",

}

TY - CONF

T1 - Navigating Uncertainty: MFT Models as Anchors with Difficult Clients

AU - Popham, Jessica

AU - Baer, Eric

AU - Burgos, Sonia

PY - 2026/2/1

Y1 - 2026/2/1

N2 - This presentation explores how five family therapy models – Solution Focused, Narrative, Symbolic-Experiential, Cognitive Behavioral, and Bowen – conceptualize and approach “difficult” clients. While the term “difficult” can be subjective across models and clinicians, understanding how to navigate therapy when clients feel challenging is important. Each model is reviewed with practical examples illustrating how they can be applied to a case study and serve as anchors for navigating uncertainty in the therapeutic process.

AB - This presentation explores how five family therapy models – Solution Focused, Narrative, Symbolic-Experiential, Cognitive Behavioral, and Bowen – conceptualize and approach “difficult” clients. While the term “difficult” can be subjective across models and clinicians, understanding how to navigate therapy when clients feel challenging is important. Each model is reviewed with practical examples illustrating how they can be applied to a case study and serve as anchors for navigating uncertainty in the therapeutic process.

M3 - Presentation

T2 - International Association for Marriage and Family Counselors

Y2 - 1 February 2026

ER -

Navigating Uncertainty: MFT Models as Anchors with Difficult Clients

Abstract

Conference

Fingerprint

Cite this